Vaporizer with external heating element

Claim 1

In a vaporizer for use in vaporizing condensate produced in externally positioned equipment, the combination of A. a body defining a condensate retaining reservoir, 1. said body having a bottom and side walls upwardly extending from the bottom to define the periphery of the said reservoir, 2. said body having a cover removably affixed over the side walls to enclose the reservoir, a. said cover being provided with a vent opening and a peripheral depending flange, said flange tightly fitting within the area defined by the said side walls, B. a shaped, open groove formed in said bottom, 1. said groove being defined by a shaped heating surface projecting upwardly into the said reservoir, 2. said groove opening exteriorly of the said body, 3. said groove being U-shaped in configuration and circular in cross sectional configuration, C. an electrical, shaped, heating element fitting within the said groove, 1. said heating element inserting into said groove exteriorly of the body, 2. the heating element intimately contacting the surface of the groove, 3. said heating element being circular in cross sectional configuration and substantially equal to the cross sectional diameter of the groove, 4. said heating element being in intimate contact with the groove through an arc of contact of substantially 180*; and D. a non-resilient heating element cover bottomly overfitting the said vaporizer bottom and sandwiching the heating element in the groove between the vaporizer body and the heating element cover, 1. said cover having an integral, U-shaped, upwardly projecting ridge, the said ridge continuously contacting the heating element throughout substantially its entire length, 2. said ridge pushing the heating element into intimate overall contact with the groove, 3. the heating element cover being in overall contact with the reservoir bottom to transfer heat thereto, 4. said heating element cover and said ridge being heated by the said heating element and forming a heat sink, a. the said heat sink retaining heat from the heating element and releasing the heat to the groove and to the reservoir bottom to aid in vaporizing the condensate.